simonfraser
Well-Known Member
so, what size did you choose to buy & why ?
big boat or small boat ?
- Thread starter simonfraser
- Start date
alan_d
Well-Known Member
I think your dichotomy is too extreme for the poll to be illuminating, most people will compromise with something in between.
I have a boat which is small enough for me to manage easily singlehanded, not so big that it costs a fortune in running costs, but is big enough to be reasonably comfortable for cruising, with standing headroom and heating.
It's a 29ft Konsort; some people would find it too small, others too big (and others not sporty enough). For me it is a reasonable compromise for my current needs.
Alan
I have a boat which is small enough for me to manage easily singlehanded, not so big that it costs a fortune in running costs, but is big enough to be reasonably comfortable for cruising, with standing headroom and heating.
It's a 29ft Konsort; some people would find it too small, others too big (and others not sporty enough). For me it is a reasonable compromise for my current needs.
Alan
mikejames
Well-Known Member
Small one with big volume for the price - squeeze family and junk in occasionally.
Westerly GK24.
Westerly GK24.
PuffTheMagicDragon
Well-Known Member
How big is 'big'? How small is 'small'? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
William_H
Well-Known Member
It is a difficult question. I bought a small boat 25 years ago and love it still.
Small means a lesser commitment to boatingI can tow it home for winter.
And it doesn't matter if I don't use it for long periods. Not so much money/effort tied up.
On the other hand had I a larger boat I might have cruised further and spent more time camping on the boat. My sailing seems to have deteriorated to racing and local sailing. It does get a lot of use though. Sunday Wed. Fri Sun for this week.(It is mid summer here. Anyway I think it is too late now to change my mind. olewill
Small means a lesser commitment to boatingI can tow it home for winter.
And it doesn't matter if I don't use it for long periods. Not so much money/effort tied up.
On the other hand had I a larger boat I might have cruised further and spent more time camping on the boat. My sailing seems to have deteriorated to racing and local sailing. It does get a lot of use though. Sunday Wed. Fri Sun for this week.(It is mid summer here. Anyway I think it is too late now to change my mind. olewill
aquaplane
Well-Known Member
I've just gone from camping afloat to caravaning afloat, ie First 18 to a Centaur.
I'm going to miss Trail Sailing, but will like having standing headroom and being able to pull my keks on not laid down, or stood outside, I'm going to keep the bucket, maybe a new one though.
I'm not looking forward to pampering batteries.
I'm not looking forward to using the engine every time I aproach a jetty/pontoon, or leave.
I'm going to miss paddling out to the mooring on a still moonlit evening, after loading up and a couple of pints, but I may try paddling the Centaur just to see if I can.
I'm thinking about keeping the First so I can have some fun, not much point though if I still have to maintain the Caravan, and the First.
I'm going to miss Trail Sailing, but will like having standing headroom and being able to pull my keks on not laid down, or stood outside, I'm going to keep the bucket, maybe a new one though.
I'm not looking forward to pampering batteries.
I'm not looking forward to using the engine every time I aproach a jetty/pontoon, or leave.
I'm going to miss paddling out to the mooring on a still moonlit evening, after loading up and a couple of pints, but I may try paddling the Centaur just to see if I can.
I'm thinking about keeping the First so I can have some fun, not much point though if I still have to maintain the Caravan, and the First.
SmileyGiley
Well-Known Member
I had a small (24ft) tub for years. Was the best bang for my buck I will ever have I think.
Sprogs have arrived. If I want to sail (I do, she do, they will do) it will have to be something bigger.
Here's one i prepared earlier!
I hope to have as much fun with my kids in my (new bigger) boat as i did with my grandad when I was a kid.
I'm going to miss the simplicity and cheapness* of a small wooden tub tho.
* Cheap... really.... if you have TIME.
Sprogs have arrived. If I want to sail (I do, she do, they will do) it will have to be something bigger.
Here's one i prepared earlier!
I hope to have as much fun with my kids in my (new bigger) boat as i did with my grandad when I was a kid.
I'm going to miss the simplicity and cheapness* of a small wooden tub tho.
* Cheap... really.... if you have TIME.
aquaplane
Well-Known Member
Nostalgia isn't what it used to be is it?
seumask
Well-Known Member
25ft Young family (5 and 2) and loving it as ex dinghy sailors. Boat comes home on the trailer for winter, swing mooring for rest of the year. Used at least once a week in the summer plus annual 10 day cruise, Channel Islands and France last year, West country several times usually the solent at weekends, shudder at the thought of a bigger boat, but I recon we might have to move up a little i.e. 28ft in a 3 to 5 years.
rustyc
Member
Big doesn't always mean big tho, it sometimes means clever. Look at a 40 foot fly bridge and it's lovely inside, room to do what you want (with the wife +2.4), yet a 60 foot sports or open top cruiser has hardly enough room inside to swing even a very, very small cat.
Clever solutions...
Clever solutions...
Refueler
Well-Known Member
Yachting Monthly article years ago "Small Boats go further". Owners were asked how many miles / how often they went out etc. Big boats fared very badly in it. Small boats racked up hours and hours and MORE miles as well.
Me - I'm happy on any boat ... big, small, mobo, sail - I don't care - it's the enjoyment of being on the water.
Present boat, well 1 of the 4 ..., at 25ft was bought for similar reason to another said :> Want to stand up to inside, be able to put keks on without laying down, etc.
Do I want bigger ? Yes I do.
Me - I'm happy on any boat ... big, small, mobo, sail - I don't care - it's the enjoyment of being on the water.
Present boat, well 1 of the 4 ..., at 25ft was bought for similar reason to another said :> Want to stand up to inside, be able to put keks on without laying down, etc.
Do I want bigger ? Yes I do.
flaming
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
Yachting Monthly article years ago "Small Boats go further". Owners were asked how many miles / how often they went out etc. Big boats fared very badly in it. Small boats racked up hours and hours and MORE miles as well.
[/ QUOTE ]
Vaguely remember that, and remember thinking that it wasn't the full story.
A better question than boat size might have been "what percentage of your anual income do you spend on sailing?"
In general larger boats actually represent a smaller proportion of the owner's wealth. And often this means a smaller proportion of their leisure time as they are able to afford other forms of entertainment.
But of course I said "in general" and there will always be exceptions to the rule.
Yachting Monthly article years ago "Small Boats go further". Owners were asked how many miles / how often they went out etc. Big boats fared very badly in it. Small boats racked up hours and hours and MORE miles as well.
[/ QUOTE ]
Vaguely remember that, and remember thinking that it wasn't the full story.
A better question than boat size might have been "what percentage of your anual income do you spend on sailing?"
In general larger boats actually represent a smaller proportion of the owner's wealth. And often this means a smaller proportion of their leisure time as they are able to afford other forms of entertainment.
But of course I said "in general" and there will always be exceptions to the rule.
PuffTheMagicDragon
Well-Known Member
The daughter of a taxi driver is reputed to have told King Farouk (ex-king of Egypt), during an intimate moment, "It's not what you have; it's what you do with it!"
The picture on this thread on Scuttlebut illustrates it beautifully:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2182557/an/0/page/0#2182557
The picture on this thread on Scuttlebut illustrates it beautifully:
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2182557/an/0/page/0#2182557
Katouf
Well-Known Member
Having sold the half-share family 18' TEOD so Dad could have a caravan, I was boatless for 15 years. SWMBO said I could have a boat when I was nearly retired so I found a 12' Tideway varnished clinker sailing dinghy. "Too small" she said, "I'm not coming in that". (I had assumed that "you can have a boat" meant it was mine but not so). So we went looking.
16' GRP sloop was "too scruffy";
18' = "no room to sunbathe on the cabin top";
22' Kestrel was "the wrong colour" (it was dark green!)
Discovered Boatsandoutboards site on internet and ended up buying a 1972/3 Centaur - just what I always wanted but SWMBO only likes to come out for a few hour's sailing when the sun is guaranteed - ie not that often.
So what I chose and what WE bought are not the same thing. This makes my answer to your poll invalid.
Alan
16' GRP sloop was "too scruffy";
18' = "no room to sunbathe on the cabin top";
22' Kestrel was "the wrong colour" (it was dark green!)
Discovered Boatsandoutboards site on internet and ended up buying a 1972/3 Centaur - just what I always wanted but SWMBO only likes to come out for a few hour's sailing when the sun is guaranteed - ie not that often.
So what I chose and what WE bought are not the same thing. This makes my answer to your poll invalid.
Alan
Refueler
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yachting Monthly article years ago "Small Boats go further". Owners were asked how many miles / how often they went out etc. Big boats fared very badly in it. Small boats racked up hours and hours and MORE miles as well.
[/ QUOTE ]
Vaguely remember that, and remember thinking that it wasn't the full story.
A better question than boat size might have been "what percentage of your anual income do you spend on sailing?"
In general larger boats actually represent a smaller proportion of the owner's wealth. And often this means a smaller proportion of their leisure time as they are able to afford other forms of entertainment.
But of course I said "in general" and there will always be exceptions to the rule.
[/ QUOTE ]
One of the biggest points made in the article was preparation needed to up and go. Big boat in marina - guy complained that he needed to organise in advance, get crew together etc.
Couple of students on a Norman 20 mobo were 'bumming' it round the coast cadging bar jobs etc. to keep going.
[ QUOTE ]
Yachting Monthly article years ago "Small Boats go further". Owners were asked how many miles / how often they went out etc. Big boats fared very badly in it. Small boats racked up hours and hours and MORE miles as well.
[/ QUOTE ]
Vaguely remember that, and remember thinking that it wasn't the full story.
A better question than boat size might have been "what percentage of your anual income do you spend on sailing?"
In general larger boats actually represent a smaller proportion of the owner's wealth. And often this means a smaller proportion of their leisure time as they are able to afford other forms of entertainment.
But of course I said "in general" and there will always be exceptions to the rule.
[/ QUOTE ]
One of the biggest points made in the article was preparation needed to up and go. Big boat in marina - guy complained that he needed to organise in advance, get crew together etc.
Couple of students on a Norman 20 mobo were 'bumming' it round the coast cadging bar jobs etc. to keep going.
hurley
Well-Known Member
Hurley 22, two kids and wife for two years. Great Fun and Cheap. We all loved it but the kids have got bigger.#
Wife loves sailing but insisted we have standing headroom, seperate heads, and a table.
Have just bought a 26ft yacht which IMHO is the perfect compromise between big and small.
Wife loves sailing but insisted we have standing headroom, seperate heads, and a table.
Have just bought a 26ft yacht which IMHO is the perfect compromise between big and small.
